$141 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea departing on 9/1. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$297
Typical prices: $447-$283
Frontier
Wed 7/29Wed 8/5
ORD - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$335
Typical prices: $567-$447
Southwest
Thu 7/16Tue 7/21
MDW - SFO • Non-stop
Arrival airport
You can't fly directly to Carmel-by-the-Sea. It is served by San Francisco (SFO), located 78 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea.
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Flight Deals
Useful Info
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea (CHI-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea

Wed, Jul 29 - Wed, Aug 5
Frontier Logo
7:15 am - 7:52 pm
ORD
-
SFO
14h 37m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
4:30 pm - 5:37 am
SFO
-
ORD
11h 07m
1 stop
$297Frontier
Wed, Jul 15 - Sat, Jul 18
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:20 am - 11:49 am
ORD
-
SFO
7h 29m
1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:04 pm - 5:00 am
SFO
-
ORD
7h 56m
1 stop
$298Alaska Airlines
Tue, Aug 4 - Sun, Aug 9
Frontier Logo
12:11 pm - 7:18 pm
MDW
-
SFO
9h 07m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:10 pm - 9:51 am
SFO
-
MDW
9h 41m
1 stop
$299Frontier
Sun, Nov 1 - Tue, Nov 17
Frontier Logo
7:00 am - 1:17 pm
ORD
-
SFO
8h 17m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
4:00 pm - 5:35 am
SFO
-
ORD
11h 35m
1 stop
$299Frontier
Wed, Jul 29 - Tue, Aug 4
Frontier Logo
6:05 am - 7:18 pm
MDW
-
SFO
15h 13m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:10 pm - 9:51 am
SFO
-
MDW
9h 41m
1 stop
$300Frontier
Wed, Jul 29 - Tue, Aug 4
Frontier Logo
7:05 am - 7:18 pm
ORD
-
SFO
14h 13m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
4:30 pm - 5:37 am
SFO
-
ORD
11h 07m
1 stop
$300Frontier
Wed, Jul 15 - Wed, Jul 15
Frontier Logo
7:15 am - 3:25 pm
ORD
-
SFO
10h 10m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:00 pm - 5:37 am
SFO
-
ORD
6h 37m
1 stop
$301Frontier
Tue, Aug 4 - Tue, Aug 4
Frontier Logo
7:15 am - 3:25 pm
ORD
-
SFO
10h 10m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:00 pm - 5:37 am
SFO
-
ORD
6h 37m
1 stop
$302Frontier
Thu, Jul 2 - Fri, Jul 10
Frontier Logo
6:00 am - 7:26 pm
MDW
-
SFO
15h 26m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
11:00 pm - 11:07 am
SFO
-
MDW
10h 07m
1 stop
$303Frontier
Thu, Jul 2 - Fri, Jul 10
Frontier Logo
6:55 am - 7:26 pm
ORD
-
SFO
14h 31m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:39 pm - 8:52 pm
SFO
-
ORD
21h 13m
1 stop
$303Frontier
Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$141
Most popular time to fly with an average 4% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to San Francisco

When to book flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price

FAQs for booking flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    When flying out of Chicago you’ll be using one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl. Carmel-by-the-Sea does not have its own airport so you’ll be flying into nearby San Francisco airport, which is 78.0 mi away.

  • How long does a flight from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea take?

    Direct flights cover the 1,855 miles separating Chicago and Carmel-by-the-Sea in about 4h 30m.

  • How many flights are there between Chicago and Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    88 direct flights run between Chicago and Carmel-by-the-Sea on a daily basis. On average, there are about 620 departures each week.

  • What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly between Chicago and Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    Consider leaving on a Monday and avoid Sundays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Chicago, you’ll find the best rates on Tuesdays and the most expensive ones on Saturdays.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Carmel-by-the-Sea from Chicago is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Carmel-by-the-Sea with an airline and back to Chicago with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Carmel-by-the-Sea from Chicago up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    In the last 5 days, the cheapest one-way ticket between Chicago and Carmel-by-the-Sea found on KAYAK was with JetBlue for $73. Frontier offered a round-trip connection from $116 and Delta from $128.

Top tips for finding cheap flights from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea

  • There is no airport in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Instead, you’ll be flying into San Francisco Airport when flying between Chicago and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
  • The cheapest flight from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea was found 69 days before departure, on average.
  • Book at least 3 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be May, June and July. The cheapest month to fly is September.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 12533 reviews
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
7.8Comfort
7.0Food
Airline reviews

On time, good seats, not overly full, up beast positive crew.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2026
SEA - SBA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

On time, good seats, not overly full, up beast positive crew.

People were friendly. Flight was a little delayed. Maybe I missed the reason for it. Overall a nice experience.

The flight itself was great. But we had to wait over an hour to deplane so I missed my train. Not the crews fault. They were wonderful!

Great trip. No complaints. Impressed with the crew’s response to various challenges pre-boarding.

Over all it was great. My original flight was canceled but they quickly rebooked me. I was frustrated because I had to cancel my entire plans for the day but all considered, not bad. The crew tried to keep us calm while we sat in the plane for was felt was an hour or so but they could use a bit of a script. The seats were comfortable and I would give it another try.

Having the internet available while flying was great. Better than having to choose from watching movies from a limited selection.

Not able to get boarding pass for domestic connection flight when check in at international airport. I was told I need to get connection flight boarding pass after I entered US. It us very inconvenient.

I was very impressed at how Alaska Airlines handles people with medical needs.

Check in & bag drop was straightforward. Alaskair changed the gate approx 40 min before departure, and I only became aware due to Google wallet update to my boarding pass. Had to move from gate N1 to C9 which required use of the Train, luckily I had time available.

Wish there were more complimentary drinks available - only had water and apple juice. Also - no snacks were provided during the flight, but we were offered some items as we exited the plane.

OKay. I sat in the back of the plane and it was really loud between babies and little kids, and adults who.like to talk a lot and loudly most of the flight.

The first time I flew in the extra legroom section. It was difficult to notice a difference. I had bad luck with my neighbors. The crew was okay. Southwest has reduced the live TV options.

No gluten free snacks. Seats felt worn or bare bones even though it was a new 737 MAX 8.

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

Not having a five hour delay with little notice! The crew was very kind, though, and just as tired as we passengers were. The flight didn't depart until nearly 1 am...and no reason was ever given.

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

The Air hostess were very rude on my flight from Houston to Austin . Their regular communication itself felt a they are shouting at people.

I flew twice this week on Southwest, was delayed over 2 hours both ways. From Pittsburgh to Chicago it was due to weather but the gate agents, pilot etc were great at updating everyone. Today from Midway to Pittsburgh the plane had come from an international location, kept getting delayed, no information was given until we were delayed for the third time. It was ridiculous, whoever scheduled that plane to fly to Pittsburgh after didn’t consider a lot of things.

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

Horrible! Several delays and then was cancelled! I spent over 24 hours in the airport and was unable to get a hotel or food voucher.

Boarded early; and arrived home 40 mins early. After a long flight, it’s nice to be back home early. These flights have no amenities; no snacks. So need to bring your own

A long delay. Don't travel late in the day.

Super friendly with lots of drink options an entertainment. Friendly crew.

The crew was great. Very friendly and responsive. The plane was old, small and tight. We ran out of overhead space and I had to check. Middle seat was particularly tight.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

Crew was friendly. Seats are too narrow, particularly when a big person is in the adjacent seat, but I understand this is due to smaller planes usually flight into Lincoln. I have experienced several flight delays going out and coming into Lincoln airport, I say maybe 50% or higher of the flights I've taken out of this airport have been delayed.

Great flight. Boarded efficiently. Arrived early at CLT. There was no in flight entertainment on this aircraft. Great crew.

The seat was comfortable. There was a lot of turbulence. If it weren't for that,it would have been okay.

Poor communication, flight was delayed for preventable reasons. I missed my connection.

I’ve got 31F seat and window seat . My 2 co passengers was AA crew members and they were very rude attitude and when I was going to use bathroom their gestures was very different and awkward and the guy beside me completely occupied the hand rest and I was really uncomfortable

It was so much better than expected, Ohare is not such a pleasant experience but American Airlines with the new, clean aeroplane and free Wi-Fi was outstanding and the crew so pleasant and helpful.

It wa sort of on time; the cab was left with some trash

American Airlines II: Delay Boogaloo. Multiple gate changes, delays, boarded and then MORE delays. I hate to say this won’t matter, but posting stuff about major corporations in 2026 is a post-modern “scream into the void.” Was multiple hours late coming home, so there you go.

The airplane was an old model, the overhead didn’t have enough room for people’s items and made boarding and boarding disappointing and stressful. Crew allowed passengers to bring more than the permitted baggage sizes.

Original flight was on time, then late, then changed gates...4 times. Once our newest plane came in, it was fine.

I almost missed my flight and they helped me out enormously

Delays experienced in boarding/take off due to incoming plane delayed. However, the boarding time/depart time in the app was significantly delayed in providing these updates. Usually not updated until an hour after we should have already boarded. Poorly managed.

Moved to earlier flight which unexpectedly had maintenance issues initially indicated as quick fix to ultimately plane changes. Moved back to original flight, also delayed. In all cases customer updates and communication very unclear, no updates on drivers for delays.

Typical AA - late by 90+ mn. Gate changed twice... Changed the departure time 6 times No explanation, no communication on reasons for delay I travel with AA twice a year... and it is consistently very poor.. I will continue to use AA only when i have to.

There weren't enough employees at check in took awhile to get bags checked. There wasn't a wheel chair for me, I was sent to someone who turns out to work for a different airline, if My flight hadn't been delayed I probably would have missed my flight as it was, by the time I arrived at my gate, they started boarding in about 15 minutes. I don't know who took me to my gate, definitely was not the normal people who take passengers to the gate. I'm guessing she may have been in a management position. I wish I knew her name, she went beyond to help me. With that said everyone was kind, and were doing the best they could. So, I choose to say it was an Adventure, stressful start, but good. In the end went well. The situation was not only difficult for passengers but the employee's.

The staff at the check in counter was so rude. Made you feel Incompetent

Frontier scheduled a 40 minute connection in DEN. What they failed to mention was that they “close the doors” 20 mins prior to departure, which means you only have 20 mins. Not enough time. Possibly against DOT regulations. Filing complaint.

Flight was scheduled at 9:40pm. Got delayed to 10 am, the next day. crazy

The bag check, flight check-in, and onboard experience convinced my wife and me that we will actively go out of our way to avoid flying Frontier Airlines in the future. At bag check, we were informed that check-in could only be completed via the Frontier mobile app. Unfortunately, the app was extremely frustrating—sending us through repetitive, confusing loops that repeatedly forced us to decline add-on services with nearly every click. While most airline apps upsell, this one felt intentionally exhausting. As the process dragged on, we became genuinely concerned that my phone battery would die before check-in could be completed. We approached the bag check staff—who were standing together talking—and explained both our frustration and our predicament. They laughed. Later, my wife described the interaction as “gaslighting,” which felt accurate. We were then informed it would cost $25 per person simply to have our boarding passes printed. From that point forward, the tone of the experience was consistently hostile. The bag check employees were condescending and combative, behaving more like bullies than customer service staff. Unfortunately, that same attitude continued onboard. One flight attendant argued with me when I attempted to stow my backpack in the overhead bin. I explained that we had each paid $75 to check our bags specifically so we would not need to use carry-on space and could have adequate legroom. She demanded to see my ticket, pointed out that it said “no carry-on”—which I acknowledged—and I reiterated that this was precisely why we paid to check our bags. Her response was, “I don’t make the rules.” She then walked away, but not before asking if I “truly wanted to fly back to Chicago today?”—an unnecessary and unmistakable threat. It is also worth noting that despite booking our tickets together in the same transaction, we were not seated together. Upon our return to Chicago—where we could once again sit together—we compared onboard experiences. We both remarked on how unhappy the flight attendants appeared and how each of us was separately asked whether we would like to purchase a beverage. We declined. At no point was water mentioned as an option, leaving us with the clear impression that even water came at a cost—or that complimentary water, if available at all, was deliberately left unmentioned. Overall, the experience was shocking and deeply disappointing, but it was also a profound learning experience—one we will not forget and will not repeat. -Steve

Plane was hot and miserable and the crew was rude!

12 hour delay required getting on and off plane 3 times - would have at least liked to have been offered a snack or drink

They didn’t offer a water, even after I asked

They switched our terminal 3 times and we were delayed for four plus hours!!!

Flight was canceled. Most upsetting was message from Kayak, stating that the flight was canceled and click with Kayak for details regarding rebook, refund details. THERE'S NO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY KAYAK EXCEPT THAT FLIGHT IS CANCELED. AND NOW THIS SURVEY TO FIND OUT HOW WAS THE FLIGHT !!!!!!!

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to Carmel-by-the-Sea

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